Incomes and Prices
Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Tomlinson
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)
My noble friend makes a very good point. I have taken note of what he has said.
Lord Tomlinson (Lab)
My Lords, the Minister says that pay rises in the public sector are very much in line with those in the private sector. That is not readily accepted by Members on this side of the House. Will he produce his evidence for that and place it in the Library, so that we can see the basis on which the Government are working?
Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)
I most certainly will do that. It is certainly a fact, but there is a lot more that we are doing, of course, to help people pay their bills. There are many who are really struggling at the moment, so this is not the only answer. We have to create that balance between recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, while delivering value for the taxpayer and being careful not to drive prices even higher in the future by contributing to the wage-price spiral.